Balanced rotary engine

ABSTRACT

A balanced rotary engine for applying torque to a drive shaft. The engine has an outer casing with a main drive case. A cylinder is rotably mounted in the casing and a piston is mounted to move longitudinally within the cylinder. Two connecting arms, each with a connecting end, one of the ends is connected to the piston, and two crankshafts, each one being rotably connected to the other connecting end of the connecting arms. Two drive wheels are contra-rotably connected to the respective first and second crankshafts. A fixed drive ring has a circumferentially disposed drive member surface. The fixed drive ring is mounted in the case so that the drive member surface faces the piston. The two drive wheels mesh with the drive ring.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present relates to internal combustion engines, and moreparticularly to a balanced rotary engine.

BACKGROUND

Internal combustion engines with one or more cylinders are well knownand widely used in many industries, in particular the automobileindustry. Generally speaking, each of the cylinders includes a pistonwith a spark, or compression, that combusts a hydrocarbon fuel causingexplosive power sufficient to reciprocally drive the piston in thecylinder. The power generated by this driven piston can drive a shaft,which when used in traction moves an object, such as a motor vehicle,forwards or rearwards. Also, the power generated can be used staticallyto move parts in machinery, or can it can generate more power, forexample through the use of a generator.

In some cases, this simple mode of operation has been modified such asfor example, in the so-called the Wankel engine, which uses one or morespecially shaped rotors mounted on a drive shaft. Fuel is combusted toprovide the motive power to turn the rotor(s) to drive the drive shaft.During World War One, a so-called rotary engine was introduced and usedin a number of aircraft. The rotary engine included a piston casing,which drove a propeller, rather than a crankshaft. Since the firstexamples of the rotary engine, other rotary engines have been tested inmotorcycles and in early road vehicles. However, the principal survivingtype of rotary engine is still the Wankel engine, a version of whichremains commercially available in some Mazda™ cars.

The principal advantages of rotary engines are an enhancedpower-to-weight ratio compared to conventional internal combustionengines, and also improved balance. However, these advantages are offsetby high production costs compared to conventional engines because of thesophisticated machinery needed for their assembly. The high productioncost is reflected in the selling price, making them largely economicallyunviable. Numerous attempts have been made to address these problems,several examples of designs of which are described below.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,357,397 to Kull describes an axial bevel gear generatedcontrol motion. This motion is used to control anaccelerating-decelerating vane motion in a cylindrical central axis mainpressure chamber using a limited angle differential gear whose reversinggear receives an axial crank controlled motion from an orbiting bevelgear or, in a modified version, from an oscillation controlling barrelcam. The same bevel gear crank generated axial motion can also be usedto provide an axial piston motion in cylinders with one or more pistonswhich can be in a stationary or rotating cylinder housing. In all thedifferent models of engine, a valveless port communicates with a radialor axial flow distribution control, which is used for a pressurizedfluid flow. This design is suited to external pressure or internalcombustion engines in which the energy conversion comes from a fluid orcombustion pressure to a powered output shaft rotation or in a reverseenergy conversion mode.

Published United States patent application number US 2004/0107923 toLawes describes a rotating cylinder valve engine, which includes anengine casing having two casing sections, a double piston and rotatingcylinder assembly. The casing section has an internal chamber thatextends from a open-end of circular cross-section towards a closed-endof the casing section. A circular flange extends radially outward fromthe open-end of the casing section. The flange has four lobe portionseach formed with a bolt hole, and is formed with a circular radiallyinner recess. The casing section is formed with a fuel inlet port, portfor a spark plug and an exhaust port.

Published United States patent application number US 2006/0283407 toMann describes a rotary gasoline engine that has two sets ofreciprocally moving pistons. The reciprocal output of the pistons iscoupled to an undulating ramp, which converts the reciprocal motion torotary motion. Although the engine casing has a hollow center, there isno drive shaft. Instead, dual rotary outputs are provided, one through arotatable output block at the top end of the casing, the other through arotatable block at the bottom end of the casing in response to thereciprocal motion of the pistons.

Published United States patent application US 2010/0108034 to Arseneaudescribes a rotary engine that has a driven output shaft, which ispowered by internal combustion carried out in a cylinder. The combustiondrives a piston and two crankshafts, which include contra-rotating drivegears meshed with a fixed gear ring. As the gears rotate, rotary motionis transmitted to the piston and the cylinder, the gear cage base, gearsand ultimately to the output shaft.

Disadvantageously, while some of these designs address some of theproblems, they are still overly complicated and require sophisticatedmachinery for their production. A number of the designs still seem to beunbalanced and require additional parts to counterbalance them.Furthermore, given the high temperatures that are produced duringcombustion and movement of the engine parts, there does not appear to bea satisfactory way of cooling the engines other than the use of a fluidcoolant or by bulky air cooling fans. Further disadvantageously, thedesigns described above have many parts, which adds to their complexityand therefore weight. The weight problem and poor heat control causesless than efficient energy output. Moreover, it is likely that thedesigns would require considerable maintenance, and would likely beprohibitively expensive.

Thus, there is a need for an improved rotary engine with enhancedbalance, low friction, low noise output and high torque, with lowmanufacturing cost and an affordable sales price. Also, it would bedesirable to have a rotary engine which an efficient cooling system.

BRIEF SUMMARY

I now have designed a novel and unobvious balanced rotary engine, whichsignificantly reduces, or essentially eliminates, the problems describedabove. My new rotary engine is about half the weight of other engines ofthe same cubic size (volume) because of its reduced number of parts.Advantageously, for this reduced cubic size, the rotary engine is ableto generate significant torques and with that an improved fuelconsumption efficiency. These two significant advantages are achievedbecause the engine operates almost “friction free”. Furthermore, therotary engine, again because of reduced part numbers has low vibrationlevels. The only vibration that exists is the pulse of the fuelcombustion. In conventional internal combustion engines, specifically ofthe rotary engine type, the energy produced during rotation is generallyapplied to the side of the cylinder. In my new rotary engine, thisenergy transmits to the twin crankshaft. Twin connection rods or armscause reduced piston side load. Furthermore, at the piston head, severalthin compression rings provide low friction and eliminate the need todrive cams with heavy springs. In sum, the reduced friction andvibration translate into improved energy output with lower fuelconsumption. To date in tests I have performed, my new rotary engineprovides 38.6% fuel efficiency, which is unprecedented for an engine ofthis size. As mentioned above, of all the four stroke engines I know,the new rotary engine has the fewest parts count. From a manufacturingpoint of view, the reduced number of parts is significant, not only forreduced cost, but also for easy, fast and accurate assembly. Moreover,the parts used in the new rotary engine are mostly available forexisting rotary engines. Indeed, of the parts used, few require custommanufacture. Finally, the reduction in parts has an additionaloperational advantage. Translation of rotational energy (torque) to adirect drive shaft does not need a reduction gearbox, which wouldordinarily need more parts and therefore add weight to the engine.

Another advantageous feature of my rotary engine is its almost perfectbalance at mid-stroke. In conventional rotary engines, parts must beadded to the casing to provide counterbalance. The twin crankshaftsindependently rotate, but are attached to a single piston pin, whichcauses contra rotation or opposed rotation. This is because the twincrankshafts rotate relative to a main fixed gear, which is bolted to themain body of the engine. In my engine though, the fixed gear ring facesthe piston, which allows for a more compact engine. Thus, by followingthe rotary engine as it moves through a single cycle, in the top andbottom positions the engine counterweight balances the reciprocation ofthe piston and parts of the connecting rod movement. It is in mid strokethat the counterweight is perfectly opposed thereby balancing the rotaryengine in an almost perfect fashion. To my knowledge, this is the onlysingle rotary engine that is balanced almost perfectly at mid stroke,without having to add parts to counterbalance the engine.

Accordingly, in one embodiment there is provided a balanced rotaryengine for applying torque to a drive shaft, the rotary enginecomprising:

an outer casing having a main drive case;

a cylinder rotably mounted in the outer casing;

a piston mounted for longitudinal movement within the cylinder;

first and second connecting arms, each connecting arm having a firstconnecting end and a second connecting end, the first connecting endsbeing connected to the piston;

first and second crankshafts, each crankshaft being rotably connected tothe second connecting end of the connecting arms;

first and second drive wheels contra-rotably connected to the respectivefirst and second crankshafts; and

a fixed drive ring having a circumferentially disposed drive membersurface, the fixed drive ring being mounted in the main drive case sothat the drive member surface is disposed towards the piston, the firstand second drive wheels meshing with the drive ring.

In one example, a drive assembly includes the connecting arms, thecranks shafts, the drive wheels and the fixed drive ring, the driveshaft being connected to the drive assembly and extending awaytherefrom. The cylinder has a cylinder opening with a first longitudinalaxis and a cylinder base, the cylinder base having first and secondsemi-circular indents located opposite each other, the cylinder basebeing sized and shaped for cooperation with the drive assembly.

In one example, the first and second drive wheels are mounted forcontra-rotation about a second axis of rotation, the second axis ofrotation being disposed orthogonal to the first axis of rotation. Thecylinder has a cylinder circumference, and the cylinder base having acylinder base circumference, the cylinder base circumference beinggreater than the cylinder circumference.

In another example, the first and second drive wheels are first andsecond gear pinions each having a plurality of circumferentiallydisposed teeth, each of the gear pinions are beveled towards each other.The fixed drive ring has a plurality of circumferentially disposedinwardly beveled teeth, the beveled teeth of the gear pinions and thefixed drive ring being cooperable for meshing during contra-rotation ofthe gear pinions.

In yet another example, the first and second cranks shafts each have athrow for connecting the crank shaft to the connecting arm, and acurvature located away from the throw.

In still another example, a piston pin connects the first connectingends of the connecting arms to the piston, the piston pin being disposedorthogonal to a cylinder opening first longitudinal axis.

In one example, the piston, the connecting arms and the crankshafts aretriangulated when the piston is located in the cylinder at mid stroke soas to balance the engine.

In another example, an arm spacer is located between the first andsecond connecting arms, the spacer extending from between the connectingarms to between the first and second crankshafts.

In another example, a first crankshaft bearing is connected to both thefirst crankshaft and the first gear pinion, the first crankshaft bearingbeing located therebetween; and a second crankshaft bearing is connectedbetween the second crankshaft and the second gear pinion and locatedtherebetween. First and second end bearings are connected to therespective first and second gear pinions.

In another example, a cylinder bearing is connected between the cylinderand the outer casing, the cylinder being sealingly connected to theouter casing.

In another example, the outer casing includes a base body and a midsection body, the base body having a base body opening, the drive shaftbeing sealingly connected to the base body opening. Drive shaft bearingsare located between the drive shaft and the base body.

In one example, the rotary engine further comprises: a cylinder headhaving located therein at least one inlet port, at least one outletport, and an ignition source port, the cylinder head being connected toan upper portion of the cylinder for rotatable movement therewith; and acylinder rotary disc sealingly connected to the cylinder head and theupper portion of the cylinder, the cylinder rotary disc being locatedtherebetween. The cylinder rotary disc includes a cylinder rotary discopening, and a cylinder rotary disc ignition source port, the ports inthe cylinder head being sequentially registered with the cylinder rotarydisc opening as the cylinder rotates within the outer casing. Anunderside of the cylinder head includes first and second seal ringscircumferentially spaced apart and concentric with the ignition sourceport for sealingly mounting with the cylinder; and at least two sealrings are mounted in corresponding seal grooves located around the inletport and the outlet port in the cylinder head, the seal rings beingeccentrically located relative to the cylinder head. A plurality offirst resilient members are connected to the cylinder rotary disc andthe cylinder head.

In one example, one or more thermal transfer members are located betweenthe cylinder head and the cylinder rotary disc. The seal grooves includea plurality of second resilient members.

In one example, the rotary engine further includes a cooling assemblylocated at an upper end of the cylinder, the cooling assembly includes aplurality of air-cooled fins, the fins being circumferentially disposedabout the cylinder and projecting outwardly therefrom.

In yet another example, the outer casing includes a plurality ofcircumferentially disposed openings. The openings are angled. Theopenings are in fluid communication with the air inlet

In one example, the cooling assembly includes an air inlet passagewaywhich extends through the cylinder head to the fins

In another example, the cooling assembly further includes a plurality ofthermal transfer pads in communication between the cylinder head and thering.

In yet another example, a plurality of cooling openings located on anupper portion of the cylinder head.

According to another embodiment, there is provides a drive assembly foruse with a rotary engine, the assembly comprising:

a piston having a piston pin, the piston being located in a rotatablecylinder for recirpocal movement therein;

first and second connecting arms connected to the piston pin andmoveable relative to each other;

a gear assembly located away from the piston and in communicationtherewith, the gear assembly having first and second contra-rotatablecrankshafts connected to two gear pinions; and

a fixed gear ring having a plurality of teeth, the teeth being disposedsuch that they face the piston, the gear pinions meshingly engage withthe fixed gear ring teeth when the crankshafts move in acontra-rotatable fashion.

According to another embodiment, there is provided a seal assembly foruse with a cylinder head and a cylinder, the seal assembly comprising:

a cylinder head underside having an inlet opening, an outlet opening andan ignition source opening, each of the openings havingcircumferentially disposed an outlet opening groove, an inlet openinggroove; an ignition source groove, the openings being disposedequidistant from each other; and

a plurality of ring seals sealingly cooperable with the grooves; and

a cylinder disc, the cylinder disc having a cylinder disc igntionopening and an aperture therein registerable with either of the inletopening or the outlet opening in the cylinder head when the cylinderrotates about a longitudinal axis, the cylinder disc being sealinglymountable between the cylinder head and the cylinder.

According to another embodiment, there is provided a cooling system foruse with a rotary engine, the cooling system comprising:

a cylinder head for sealing engagement with a cylinder; and

a cylinder disk having at least one thermal transfer pad mounted thereonfor cooperation with the cylinder head, the thermal transfer pad beinglocated to transfer thermal energy form the cylinder to the cylinderhead.

According to another embodiment, there is provided a cooling system foruse with a rotary engine, the cooling system comprising:

a fan mounted on the cylinder head;

a cool air inlet passgeway interconnecting first and second air inletopenings; and

an air outlet opening located between the first and second inletopenings, the fan being mounted for rotation such that cool air is drawninto the first and second inlet openings and is forced onto the fan, thefan being in communication with hot surfaces in the engine, such thatcool air moving across the fan causing thermal transfer thereto, thewarm air being moved away from the engine via the outlet openings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features of that described herein will become moreapparent from the following description in which reference is made tothe appended drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is perspective view of an embodiment of a balanced rotary engine;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the engine as illustrated in FIG. 2;

FIG. 3 is a top view of the rotary engine of FIG. 1 showing an air inletport, an exhaust outlet port and a plurality of circumfernetiallydisposed body bolts;

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal cross-sectional detailed view of the engine ofFIG. 2 showing a piston at a top of a cylinder;

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal cross-sectional detailed view of the engineshowing a rod spacer with the piston at the top of the cylinder;

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal cross-sectional detailed view of the enginewith the piston at the bottom end of the cylinder;

FIG. 7 is another longitudinal cross-sectional detailed view of theengine with the piston at the bottom end of the cylinder;

FIG. 8 is a simplified longitudinal cross-sectional detailed view of theengine with the piston at the bottom end of the cylinder;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view the engine showing the location of thedrive assembly;

FIG. 10 is a simplified longitudinal cross-sectional view of the enginewith the piston located at the mid-position in the cylinder showing theconnecting arm;

FIG. 11 is a simplified longitudinal cross-sectional view of the enginewith the piston at mid-stroke showing the crankshafts;

FIG. 12 is a simplified side view of a drive assembly showing a gearpinion meshed with a fixed gear ring;

FIG. 13 is a top perspective view of the drive assembly of FIG. 12;

FIG. 14 is another side view of the drive assembly showing two beveledgear pinions and a fixed gear ring;

FIG. 15 is a simplified side view of showing a crankshaft and twoconnecting arms;

FIG. 16 is a simplified perspective view of FIG. 15;

FIG. 17 is a simplified top view of FIG. 15;

FIG. 18 is a side view of the gear assembly;

FIG. 19 is a perseoctve view of the gear assembly;

FIG. 20 is a top view of the gear assembly showing an axis of rotation

FIG. 21 is a longitudinal cross sectional detailed view of the gearassembly;

FIG. 22 is a side view of the gear assembly showing the location of thedrive shaft;

FIG. 23 is a detailed bottom view of the gear assembly;

FIG. 24 is a perspective exploded partial view of a single crankshaftand gear pinion;

FIG. 25 is a top view of the exploded view of FIG. 24;

FIG. 26 is a top view of FIG. 25;

FIG. 27 is another top view of FIG. 25;

FIG. 28 is an exploded view showing the cylinder and the drive shaftaround the drive assembly

FIG. 29 is another exploded view of FIG. 28;

FIG. 30 is a perspective exploded view showing the cylinder and thedrive assembly;

FIG. 31 is a bottom view of the drive assembly;

FIG. 32 is an exploded side view of the cylinder, the drive assembly andthe drive shaft;

FIG. 33 is an exploded, simplified view of FIG. 32;

FIG. 34 is an exploded perspective view of a cylinder head and cylinder;

FIG. 35 is an a bottom view of the cylinder head;

FIG. 36 is an exploded side view of the cylinder head and cylinder;

FIG. 37 is an exploded perspective view of FIG. 36;

FIG. 38 is an exploded bottom perspective view of FIG. 36;

FIG. 39 is a longitudinal cross sectional view of the cylinder head

FIG. 40 is a bottom view of FIG. 39;

FIG. 41 is an exploded longitudinal side view of the cylinder headshowing detailed views of the ring seals

FIG. 42 is a exploded detailed side view of the cylinder head;

FIG. 43 is a partially exploded bottom perspective view of the cylinderhead;

FIG. 44 is a longitudinal cross sectional view of the cylinder head andcylinder showing a thermal pad;

FIG. 45 is a side view of the assembled cylinder head and the cylinder;

FIG. 46 a longitudinal cross sectional view of FIG. 45;

FIG. 47 is a detailed side view of the cylinder head showing a collarwith a plurality of angled air flow openings;

FIG. 48 is a longitudinal cross sectional view of FIG. 47;

FIG. 49 is a perspective view of the assembled cylinder head;

FIG. 50 is a longitudinal cross sectional view of the cylinder headshowing an air flow pathway (arrows);

FIG. 51 is a simplified side view of the cylinder head and collarshowing the location of the angled air flow openings;

FIG. 52 is a top view of the cylinder head showing the location of therotating cooling fins;

FIG. 53 is a perspective view of a fully assembled rotary engine showingthe location of deflector caps;

FIG. 54 is a side view of FIG. 53;

FIG. 55 is a top view of FIG. 53;

FIG. 56 is a simplified longitudinal cross sectional view of thecylinder showing the location of the cylinder cap;

FIG. 57 is a perspective view of FIG. 56;

FIG. 58 is top view of FIG. 57;

FIG. 59 is longitudinal cross sectional view of the rotary engineshowing location of seals and an oil lubrication system;

FIG. 60 is a partial cut away side view of the engine showing an oilinlet;

FIG. 61 is aside view of the drive assembly showing two spacer rodsupports;

FIG. 62 is a simplified perspective view of the drive assembly showingthe spacer bar;

FIG. 63 is a simplified top view of the spacer bar showing two curvedends abutting the two spacers;

FIG. 64 is a bottom view of the drive assembly showing the location ofthe two supports

FIG. 65 is a detailed top view of the drive assembly showing the spacerrod, the two curved ends and the direction of rotation; and

FIG. 66 is another top view of the drive assembly showing the locationof the curved ends after 180 degree rotation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Definitions

Unless otherwise specified, the following definitions apply:

The singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” include corresponding pluralreferences unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

As used herein, the term “comprising” is intended to mean that the listof elements following the word “comprising” are required or mandatorybut that other elements are optional and may or may not be present.

As used herein, the term “consisting of” is intended to mean includingand limited to whatever follows the phrase “consisting of”. Thus, thephrase “consisting of” indicates that the listed elements are requiredor mandatory and that no other elements may be present.

1. General Rotary Engine Construction

Referring now to FIGS. 1-11, a balanced rotary engine is shown generallyat 10. Broadly speaking, the rotary engine 10 includes a domed cylinderhead 12, an outer casing 14, and a drive shaft 16 extending away fromthe outer casing 14. The outer casing 14 includes a mid body section 18,a base body section 20 and a base body opening 22. When viewed inlongitudinal cross section, as best seen in FIGS. 4 and 5, the detail ofthe rotary engine 10 becomes apparent. Thus, located in the outer casing14 is a cylinder 24, which is sealingly mounted therein for rotationabout a longitudinal axis 26; a piston 28; two connecting arms (rods)30, 32; and a drive assembly 34. The drive shaft 16 is in communicationwith the drive assembly 34 and extends away from the base body section20 of the outer casing 14. For ease of describing the orientation of thenumerous parts of the engine, throughout this description the cylinderhead 12 is referred to as being an upper or top part of the engine 10,whereas the base body section 20 is referred to as being located at alower or bottom part of the engine 10. The rotary engine 10 isessentially a modular construction, which allows easy replacement ofparts and interchangeability. Additionally, the modular constructionaffords versatility in power train design and function.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, a main drive case (cradle) 36 islocated in the base body section 20 of the outer casing 14. The cylinder24 has a chamber 38 in which is the piston 28 is mounted. A combustionchamber 40 is located between the cylinder head 12 and the piston 28.The piston 28 is mounted within the chamber 38 for longitudinal movementalong the longitudinal axis 26 that bisects the rotary engine 10. Acylinder bearing 44 is located between an outer surface 46 of thecylinder 24 and an inner surface 48 of the mid body section 18 of theouter casing 14. A cylinder seal 50 is located adjacent the cylinderbearing 44 to prevent leakage of, for example, lubricant. The cylinderbearing 44 and the cylinder seal 50 are located adjacent a junction 52between the mid body section 18 and the base body section 20 and in acavity 49 located in the mid body section 20. The cylinder bearing 44,in this case, is a ball race, although one skilled in the art willrecognize that other types of bearings are available.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 5, the mid body section 18 is narrower atthe junction 52 compared to an upper part 54 of the base body section20. The base body section 20 tapers down to the base body opening 22 andultimately towards the drive shaft 16. When viewed in longitudinal crosssection as best seen in FIG. 4, the outer casing 14 is, in essence, asidewall that envelops the moving parts of the rotary engine 10. As seenin FIG. 1, this gives the impression of a compact, symmetrical andaesthetically pleasing rotary engine 10.

2. The Drive Assembly

Referring now to FIGS. 4, 5 to 33, the two connecting arms 30, 32 extendfrom the piston 28 towards the drive assembly 34. Each of the connectingarms 30, 32 are rods that each have a first arm connecting end 56 and asecond arm connecting end 58. The first connecting ends 30 of eachconnecting arm 30, 32 is connected to the piston 28. A single piston pin58 is located in the piston and disposed orthogonal to the longitudinalaxis 26. The drive assembly 34 is located away from the piston 28 anddisposed within the main drive case 36. The drive assembly 34 includesfirst and second crankshafts 60, 62, each of the crankshafts beingrotably connected to the second arm connecting end 58 of the connectingarms 30, 32. Each of the crankshafts 60, 62 has a throw 67, 69 (orcrankshaft pin) connected to the gear pinions 68, 70, located at the endof a crankshaft connecting member 75, 77. Moving away from the first andsecond crankshafts 60, 62, first and second crankshaft bearings 64, 66are connected to the respective first and second crankshafts 60, 62.First and second beveled gear pinions (gear drive wheels) 68, 70 aresecured to the first and second crankshaft bearings 64, 66 and to thesecond arm connecting end 58 of the connecting arms 30, 32 using crankgear bolts 72, 74. The beveled gear pinions 68, 70 are tapered towardsthe each other and towards the connecting arms 30, 32. As best seen inFIG. 10, the first and second gear pinions 68, 70 are mounted forcontra-rotation about a second axis of rotation 76 that is disposedorthogonal to the first longitudinal axis 26. The first and second gearpinions 68, 70 each has a first drive member which is, on each gearpinion a plurality of circumferentially disposed gear pinion teeth 69,71, as best seen in FIG. 13. Thus, the first and second gear pinions 68,70 are contra-rotably connected to the respective first and secondcrankshafts 60, 62.

The drive assembly 34 is held together using first and second endbearings 78, 80 that are bolted together using bolts 79, 81 to ensure acompact arrangement.

Referring back to FIGS. 4 and 5, a rod spacer 82 is located between thefirst and second connecting arms 30, 32 and extends from between thearms to between the first and second crankshafts 60, 62. The rod spacer82 help maintain the two connecting arms 30, 32 and the crankshaftbearings 64, 66 on the crank gear bolts 72, 74 and stops them fromloosening and becoming free.

Referring now to FIGS. 4, 9 to 23, the drive shaft 16 is connected tothe drive assembly 34 and is co-axial with the first longitudinal axis26. The drive shaft 16 includes a drive shaft projection 84 and acircumferentially disposed flange 86 having a plurality of holes 88therein. The drive assembly 34 includes a drive assembly connectingmember 90 having a centrally disposed opening 92 located therein toreceive the drive shaft projection 84 and a plurality ofcircumferentially disposed holes 94, as best seen in FIG. 23. The driveshaft 16 is mechanically secured to the drive assembly 34 using boltsdriven through the holes 88 and the holes 94. Other means ofmechanically securing the drive shaft 16 to the drive assembly 34 can beused and are known to those skilled in the art. For example, on theflange 86 a plurality of small projections (nubbins) can be used to besecured in the circumferentially disposed holes 94 instead of usingbolts. To permit rotation of the drive shaft 16 when the drive assembly34 is in operation, drive shaft bearings 96 surround the drive shaft 16and abut the underside of the circumferentially disposed flange 86. Thedrive shaft bearings 96 are located adjacent the base body opening 22and are sandwiched between the drive shaft 16 and the base body section20, as best seen in FIGS. 5 and 10. The drive shaft bearings 96 are ballraces. One skilled in the art will readily recognize that other types ofbearing are available to permit smooth rotation of the drive shaft 16 inthe base body opening. A drive shaft seal 98 is located between thedrive shaft 16 and the lower part of the base body section 20 such thatthe drive shaft 16 is rotably and sealingly connected to the base bodysection 20. As best seen in FIGS. 9, 12 and 13, the drive assembly 34further includes a fixed gear drive ring 100, which has acircumferentially disposed drive member surface with a plurality ofcircumferentially disposed teeth 102. The fixed gear ring 100 is fixablymounted in the main drive case 36 so that the teeth 102 are disposedtowards the piston 28. The circumferentially disposed teeth 102 areinwardly beveled to permit cooperable meshing thereof with thecorresponding gear pinion teeth 69, 71 during contra-rotation of thegear pinions 68, 70. This new orientation of the fixed gear ring 100towards the piston 28 allows considerable reduction in engine sizebecause all the available inner space of the lower casing is used tohouse the drive assembly 34.

As best seen in FIGS. 24, 25, 26 and 27, two end cap members 71, 73 arebolted together.

As best seen in FIGS. 11, 15, 16 and 17, the perfect balance of theengine 10 with the piston 28 at mid-stroke is achieved because the twocontra-rotatable crankshafts 60, 62 are orientated such that thecurvature 63, 65 of each crankshaft 60, 62 are located 90 degrees to thefirst longitudinal axis 26. When viewed from the side, as best seen inFIG. 15, the two connecting arms 30, 32 and the two crankshafts 60, 62are triangulated with the pin 58 being located at the apex of thetriangle. At mid stroke, the curvatures 63, 65 of the crankshafts 60, 62are co-planar.

Referring now to FIGS. 28 to 30, the cylinder 24 has an upper cylinderportion 104 having a cylinder circumference, and a cylinder base 105that has a cylinder base circumference. The cylinder base 105circumference is greater than the upper cylinder portion 104circumference. The cylinder base 105 includes two semi-circular indents106, 108 which are located on opposite sides of the cylinder base 105.The semi-circular indents 106, 108 are sized and shaped to cooperatewith the drive assembly 34, which helps to align the cylinder 24 withthe drive assembly 34 simply and precisely during assembly. Furthermore,this precise assembly creates a rigid assembly with receded vibrationcompared to convention assemblies. The cylinder base 105 includes fourbolting holes 109 to help secure the cylinder 24 to the drive shaft 16.The cylinder base 105 with the semi-circular indents 106, 108 allows foraccurate, quick and easy assembly of the cylinder 24 with the driveassembly 34.

The connecting arms 30, 32 act individually and translatecontra-rotation to the respective first and second crankshafts 60, 62.The rotary engine 10 with the piston 28 at a mid stroke position, asseen in FIGS. 11, 15, 15 and 16 with the connecting arms 30, 32 allowsignificant reduction of the side loading from the piston 28 and thewall of cylinder 24 because of the perfect symmetrical balance achieved.The piston 28 moves reciprocally within the cylinder 24. The piston 28is carried through the agency of the piston pin 52 by the two connectingarms 30, 32 which extend from their respective throws or crank pinscarried on the two separate and contra-rotating crankshafts. Each of thecrankshafts carries the bevel gear pinion respectively, which mesheswith the fixed bevel gear ring fixed.

3. The Cylinder Head Assembly

Referring now to FIGS. 4, and 34 to 45, a cylinder head assembly 109 ismounted on the upper cylinder portion 104 of the cylinder 24 so that theassembly 109 is connected to the cylinder 24 and the outer casing 14.The cylinder head assembly 109 includes the cylinder head 12 and acylinder rotary disc 110. The cylinder rotary disc 110 is sealinglyconnected to the upper cylinder portion 104 and to an underside 112 ofthe cylinder head 12. The cylinder rotary disc 110 is thereforesandwiched between the cylinder head 12 and the cylinder 24. Thediameter (and of course the circumference) of the cylinder head 12 whensealingly mounted on the cylinder 24 is larger than the diameter of thecylinder 24. Included around the periphery of the cylinder head 12 is aplurality of bolt holes 113 to receive bolts therein to secure thecylinder head 12 to the outer casing 14. The cylinder head 12 has afluid (air) inlet port 114, a fluid outlet (exhaust) port 116, and anignition source port 118. The ignition source port 118 houses anignition source such as a spark plug (not shown). In the example shown,the fluid inlet port 114 is located adjacent the exhaust port 116. Thecylinder rotary disc 110 includes a cylinder rotary disc opening 120,and a cylinder rotary disc ignition source port 122. The fluid ports114, 116 in the cylinder head 12 are each sequentially registered withthe cylinder rotary disc opening 120 as the cylinder 24 rotates withinthe outer casing 14.

Referring now to FIGS. 36 to 43, a sealing assembly is shown generallyat 123. Three seal rings 124, 126, 128 are mounted in corresponding deepseal grooves 130, 132, 134 located adjacent the inlet port 114 and theexhaust port 116 in the cylinder head 12. An ignition port seal ring 136is located in a seal groove 138 located around the ignition source port122. The seal rings 124, 126, 128 are equidistant from each other andare located around the ignition port seal ring 136. The underside 112 ofthe cylinder head 12 also includes first and second concentric grooves138, 140, the second groove 140 being smaller than the first groove 138.Located between the two concentric grooves 138, 140 is a plurality ofspaced apart air flow openings 142, the air flow openings 142 beingconcentric with the second groove 140.

As best seen in FIGS. 37 and 38, the cylinder rotary disc 110 has acircumferentially disposed seal 144 that fits snuggly in the deep secondgroove 140 and allows a sealing engagement with the upper cylinderportion 104. The seal 144 also includes a backup ring seal 146 with cutat least one location 147 and is located outside the second groove 140.Resilient wave springs 148 are mounted on top of the cylinder rotarydisc 110. Each of the seal rings 124, 126, 128, 136 do not have a cut,but instead include a back up ring 149 located on the inside of the sealgrooves 130, 132, 134. The outer surface of the ring seals 124, 126,128, 136 are chamfered at the upper and lower ends (not shown). The ringseal designs are part of a high pressure rotary valve in which theresilient wave springs 148 provide a light downward force; the backupring seal 149 with the cut at least one location 147 seals on thediameter of the seal groove; the seal rings 124, 126, 128 pushdownwardly on the outside of the respective grooves; the medium sizedring push downwardly on the inside of the groove; and the main rings124, 126, 128 are chamfered so that they fit the backup ring betterwithout needing a cut. The ring seals seal in different directions toprovide a perfect seal. Thus, the three ring set is fixed with the headrotary top cylinder.

3. The Cooling System

In addition to the engine structure, the ability to cool the engineduring operation is advantageous. A dual unique fan and thermal energyexchange system is located opposite the drive assembly 34 to providevery efficient self cooling using air flow and thermal contact toexchange heat to the air as cool, fresh air moves across the thermalexchange surfaces. The ability to efficiently remove heat from theengine prevents engine overheating, which can ultimately cause enginefailure.

Referring now to FIGS. 2, 34, and 44 to 59 a dual cooling system isillustrated generally at 200. The first part of the dual cooling system200 relies on thermal energy transfer from a hot surface to cool air asthe cool air is forced across the hot surface. The second part of thedual cooling system 200 relies on thermal transfer from a hot surfacevia a heat exchanger. As best seen in FIG. 34, three heat transfer pads202 spaced apart and equidistant from each other and connected to thecylinder rotary disc 110. The heat transfer pads 202 are upstanding fromthe cylinder rotary disc 110. The three heat transfer pads 202 act asindependent heat exchangers to remove heat from the engine. The heattransfer pads 202 radiate away from the cylinder rotary disc ignitionsource port 122 and are angled away from each other at about 120degrees. As best seen in FIG. 44, each of the heat transfer pads 202includes two light resilient spaced apart (spring) members 204, 206extending upwardly therefrom. Each of the heat transfer pads 202 and thespaced apart spring members 204, 206 insert snuggly into a cylinder headcavity 208. The thermal energy produced during combustion of the fueland operation of the rotary engine 10 generates considerable thermalenergy in the form of heat. Given that the heat transfer pad 202 arelocated adjacent to or in direct contact with the thermal surfaces ofthe cylinder 24 means that they are able to absorb the thermal energyand transfer it to the cylinder head 12 for dissipation directly fromthe outer surfaces of the cylinder head 12 or by cool air flowing overthe outer surfaces. The thermal transfer pads 202 are made from materialwhich have a high heat conductivity are which are well known to hoseskilled in the art.

Still referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, and now FIGS. 47 and 49, a collar 214is connected between the cylinder head 12 and the upper part 54 of thebase body section 20. The collar 214 includes a plurality of spacedapart, angled elongate openings 216 arranged as part of a dual coolingsystem, which will be described in more detail below. Below the collar214 are a plurality of horizontally disposed indents 217 which help toreduce the overall weight of the engine. Below the indents 217, of whichthere are six, are a plurality of air inlet opening 221.

Turning now to the second dual cooling system which operates in concertwith the first of the dual cooling systems. As mentioned above, thecylinder head 12 includes the plurality of spaced apart air flowopenings 142 which are located equidistant between the seals 138, 140 inthe cylinder head 12 part of an air flow cooling system. Located on thetop part of the cylinder head 12 are a plurality of radially disposedelongate cooling air intake openings 210 adjacent a plurality of airinlet openings 212 that are disposed about the ignition source port 118and radiate outwardly therefrom. Each of the openings 210 are smallelongate openings arranged in groups of three around the cylinder head12.

As best seen in FIGS. 49 and 50, the collar 214 is connected between thecylinder head 12 and the upper portion of the outer casing. The collar214 includes the plurality of spaced apart, angled elongate openings216. The openings 216 provide an outlet for air flow as it passes alonga coolant flow pathway 218 (as indicated by the arrows in FIG. 50). Afan 219 is mounted to rotate around the cylinder 24 to draw fresh air inthrough the inlets 210, 212 and 225. The deflector located adjacent theinlet 225 pushes air onto the small diameter of the fan 219, and thenthe warmed air exits through the opening 216. The fan 219 is made fromlightweight aluminum and is screwed into the top of the cylinder discand the top of the cylinder disc to the cylinder. First and seconddeflector caps 220, 222 are connected to the top of the cylinder head 12and are located adjacent the intake fins 210. In operation, as thecylinder rotates, air is drawn in from around the cylinder head 12 andenters the plurality of air inlet openings 210 and the openings 212 isforced into the coolant flow pathway 218. The rotating fins push the airout through the angled elongate openings 216. As the air flows along thepassageway 218 thermal energy transfer takes place from the hot surfacesin the cylinder head 12 or adjacent to it to the cool air which absorbsthe heat. The forcing of air from the center of the cylinder head 12then through the cylinder head provides superior cooling efficiencycompared to conventional cooling methods.

Referring now to FIGS. 56 to 58, a locking disk 224 is mounted on top ofthe cylinder and surrounds the cylinder rotary disc 110 using aplurality of locking bolts 226 (locking disk with the fin rings). Theplurality of holes 14 communicate from the cylinder head 12 to the fins219 providing cooling to the cylinder head 12.

Referring back now to FIG. 52, when viewed from above, the fins on therotary cooling fan are angled towards the spark plug hole. Also, whenviewed from above, a plurality of circumferentially disposed bolt holes113 are located top help secured the cylinder head to the outer casing.

In sum, cool fresh air is drawn into the cylinder head 12 at theopenings 210, 212, and 225. The deflectors brings cooling flow to thesmall diameter of the rotary fins 219. The intake is through thecylinder head 12 to the small diameter of the fins 219. Exit air flowsto cool off the body of the engine. The fixed fins on the cylinder headalso aid cooling.

4. Lubrication System

As with any machine having moving parts, a lubrication system is neededto allow the parts movement across each other's surfaces to preventceasing. In my new rotary engine, I have designed a lubrication systemwhich permits efficient movement of the parts without the need for asophisticated sealing arrangement and which considerably reduces thefrequency of required lubricant replacement. The lubricant used is atypical oil (synthetic or natural) known to those skilled in the art forthe purpose of lubrication.

Referring now to FIGS. 59 to 66, a lubrication system is shown generallyat 300. An oil inlet port 302 is shown adjacent the gear assembly and isconnected to an oil pump (not shown). The spacer rod 82 between the twoconnecting arms 30, 32 has two curves 306, 308 at either end towards theouter casing so that the oil entering the gear assembly is induced tothe middle of the engine as the engine rotates in the direction of anarrow 304. This simple curvature of the spacer rod 82 allows for a moreeven distribution of the oil to all the moving parts during operation ofthe engine. Absent the rod spacer curvatures 306, 308, the oil's finaldestination would depend largely on the pump force. An oil outlet port(not shown) ensures continuous recycling of the oil. The seals 50, 98between the cylinder 24 and the outer casing 14 and between the lowerbase portion and the drive shaft 16 prevent the oil from leaking outfrom the engine. The curved ends 306, 308 of the spacer rod 82 abut twosupports 310, 312 which project outwardly from the engine 10. As bestseen in FIG. 59, the cylinder 24 and the gear assembly 34 is a closedsystem, which maintains oil so that it remain in contact with the rotaryparts. The oil inlet port 302 moves the oil to the base body which isinduced by the rod spacer 82.

Operation

An operation of the rotary engine 10 will now be described in detail.The balanced rotary engine 10 provides a rotational force (torque) tothe drive shaft 16, which when coupled to a load of some description isable to efficiently move that load. In the case of an automobile, therotational power is used to rotate wheel axles causing the vehicle tomove forward or rearwards. A fuel supply, such as gasoline or diesel,would be coupled to the cylinder head 12 (valving block) via anappropriate fuel distributor, such as a carburetor. An ignition sourcesuch as a spark plug (not shown) is provided to initiate ignition of thefuel. When ignition occurs, sufficient explosive force is generated todrive the piston 28 longitudinally along the first longitudinal axis 26within the cylinder 24. In so doing the first and second crankshafts 60,62 are caused to rotate synchronously in opposite directions by thedownward thrust of the piston 28 on the connecting arms 30, 32. Therotation of the crankshafts 60, 62 triggers rotation of the beveledpinion gears 68, 70, which contra-rotate about the second axis ofrotation 76, and through the meshing engagement with the static fixedbeveled gear ring 100, the piston 28 and the cylinder 24 together withthe other moving parts rotate about the cylinder first longitudinal axis26. The drive assembly 34 rotates the drive shaft 16 to transmit driveto the working load (not shown). The contra-rotation of the connectingarms 30, 32 provides a balanced power transmission that minimizesvibration and therefore noise generation. All components illustrated inFIGS. 4 and 5 rotate about the first cylinder longitudinal axis 26during operation of the engine 10. As a result of this, the fuel economyis advantageously improved.

A person skilled in the art will readily understand that other designscan be used in which more than a single cylinder is used. With the newrotary engine described above, the same balanced loading that isachieved with the single cylinder would be maintained with multiplecylinders. Furthermore, since the new rotary engine is modular, aplurality of the engines could be assembled in a suitable series orparallel arrangement to provide power for a particular application.

Other Embodiments

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent to one of ordinaryskill in the art that variations and modifications may be made to theembodiments described herein to adapt it to various usages andconditions.

We claim:
 1. A balanced rotary engine for applying torque to a driveshaft, the rotary engine comprising: an outer casing having a main drivecase; a cylinder rotably mounted in the outer casing; a piston mountedfor longitudinal movement within the cylinder; first and secondconnecting arms, each connecting arm having a first connecting end and asecond connecting end, the first connecting ends being connected to thepiston; first and second crankshafts, each crankshaft being rotablyconnected to the second connecting end of the connecting arms; first andsecond drive wheels contra-rotably connected to the respective first andsecond crankshafts; and a fixed drive ring having a circumferentiallydisposed drive member surface, the fixed drive ring being mounted in themain drive case so that the drive member surface is disposed towards thepiston, the first and second drive wheels meshing with the drive ring.2. The rotary engine, according to claim 1, in which a drive assemblyincludes the connecting arms, the cranks shafts, the drive wheels andthe fixed drive ring, the drive shaft being connected to the driveassembly and extending away therefrom.
 3. The rotary engine, accordingto claim 2, in which the cylinder has a cylinder opening with a firstlongitudinal axis and a cylinder base, the cylinder base having firstand second semi-circular indents located opposite each other, thecylinder base being sized and shaped for cooperation with the driveassembly.
 4. The rotary engine, according to claim 1, in which the firstand second drive wheels are mounted for contra-rotation about a secondaxis of rotation, the second axis of rotation being disposed orthogonalto the first axis of rotation.
 5. The rotary engine, according to claim3, in which the cylinder has a cylinder circumference, and the cylinderbase having a cylinder base circumference, the cylinder basecircumference being greater than the cylinder circumference
 6. Therotary engine, according to claim 1, in which the first and second drivewheels are first and second gear pinions each having a plurality ofcircumferentially disposed teeth, each of the gear pinions are beveledtowards each other.
 7. The rotary engine, according to claim 6, in whichthe fixed drive ring has a plurality of circumferentially disposedinwardly beveled teeth, the beveled teeth of the gear pinions and thefixed drive ring being cooperable for meshing during contra-rotation ofthe gear pinions.
 8. The rotary engine, according to claim 1, in whichthe first and second crank shafts each have a throw for connecting thecrank shaft to the connecting arm, and a curvature located away from thethrow.
 9. The rotary engine, according to claim 1, in which a piston pinconnects the first connecting ends of the connecting arms to the piston,the piston pin being disposed orthogonal to a cylinder opening firstlongitudinal axis.
 10. The rotary engine, according to claim 1, in whichthe piston, the connecting arms and the crankshafts are triangulatedwhen the piston is located in the cylinder at mid stroke so as tobalance the engine.
 11. The rotary engine, according to claim 1, inwhich an arm spacer is located between the first and second connectingarms, the spacer extending from between the connecting arms to betweenthe first and second crankshafts.
 12. The rotary engine, according toclaim 1, in which a first crankshaft bearing is connected to both thefirst crankshaft and the first gear pinion, the first crankshaft bearingbeing located therebetween; and a second crankshaft bearing is connectedbetween the second crankshaft and the second gear pinion and locatedtherebetween.
 13. The rotary engine, according to claim 12, in whichfirst and second end bearings are connected to the respective first andsecond gear pinions.
 14. The rotary engine, according to claim 1, inwhich a cylinder bearing is connected between the cylinder and the outercasing, the cylinder being sealingly connected to the outer casing. 15.The rotary engine, according to claim 1, in which the outer casingincludes a base body and a mid section body, the base body having a basebody opening, the drive shaft being sealingly connected to the base bodyopening.
 16. The rotary engine, according to claim 15, in which driveshaft bearings are located between the drive shaft and the base body.17. The rotary engine, according to claim 1, further comprises: acylinder head having located therein at least one inlet port, at leastone outlet port, and an ignition source port, the cylinder head beingconnected to an upper portion of the cylinder for rotatable movementtherewith; and a cylinder rotary disc sealingly connected to thecylinder head and the upper portion of the cylinder, the cylinder rotarydisc being located therebetween.
 18. The rotary engine, according toclaim 17, in which the cylinder rotary disc includes a cylinder rotarydisc opening, and a cylinder rotary disc ignition source port, the portsin the cylinder head being sequentially registered with the cylinderrotary disc opening as the cylinder rotates within the outer casing. 19.The rotary engine, according to claim 16, in which an underside of thecylinder head includes first and second seal rings circumferentiallyspaced apart and concentric with the ignition source port for sealinglymounting with the cylinder; and at least two seal rings are mounted incorresponding seal grooves located around the inlet port and the outletport in the cylinder head, the seal rings being eccentrically locatedrelative to the cylinder head.
 20. The rotary engine, according to claim19, in which a plurality of first resilient members are connected to thecylinder rotary disc and the cylinder head.